Feed mechanism for sewing-machines.



' No. 814,026. I PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

G. A. DEARBORN. FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29,1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

LVL-tmaoom E N6. 814,026. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

C. A. DEARBORN.

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED snmzs, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

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FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWiNG-MACHINES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Originalapplication filed July 21, 1904, Serial No. 217,474. Divided and this application filed September 29, 1904. Serial T0 aZl whom: it mag concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. DEARBORN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present application is a division of my original application, Serial No. 217,474, filed July 21, 1904, for improvements in sewingmachines, and the invention covered by the present case relates to improvements in feeding mechanism which are applicable to sewing-machines in general,.but are particularly designed for overseaming blindstitch sewing-machines, such as illustrated in Patents No. 639,669, datedDecember 19, 1899; No. 679,553, dated July 30, 1901; No. 705,325, dated July 22, 1902, and No. 705,326, dated July 22, 1902, heretofore granted to me.

In machines covered by my above-named patents the feeding mechanism is in the form of intermittently actuated rotating feedrolls mounted upon a spring -sustained work support or frame and engaging the work from beneath and holding it up against a rigid presser-foot in proper position for the action of the stitch-forming mechanism. In one of the old forms of my machine I have also employed j an auxiliary reciprocating feed mechanism engaging the work' from above to cooperate with and supplement the action of the under-roller feed mechanism referred to. These old forms of feeding mechanism are extremely complicated and expensive to manufacture and the location of the operating parts necessarily presents ob jectionable obstructions abovethe plane ofthe Work-support which interfere with the convenient manipulation .of the work. The improved feeding mechanism overcomes these objections, as hereinafter explained.

The old form of underfeed roller mechanism is done away with in the improved machine, and in place .of such feeding mechanreciprocating underfeed device. preferably in the form of a two part serrated feed-dog,

the two parts being arranged end to end parmounted upon areciprocatory arm or bar,

actuated at its rear end by an eccentric upon the main driving-shaft of the machine and supported between its ends by a pin or stud which passes through an elongated ournalopening having a peculiar cam-shaped wall omission of the complicated underfeed.

mechanism of the old machine and the employment of the simple reciprocatory feeddog, WhlOll is supported from the machinearm above the p ane of feed, greatly simplify the machine and materially increase the scope of its work. 7

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty with more particularity in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing-machine embodying improved feeding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, of the feeding mechanism, shifted positions of the latter being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the movement of the feeddog.- Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view of the same. plan view of the presser-foot.

The main frame of the machine is formed of a single casting comprising a rigid central base 1,- the upwardly-extending rear arm 2, terminating in the sleeves or shaft-bearings 3 4, and a forwardly-extending arm 5, having the needle-shaft bearings 6 7 and the looper rock-shaft bearing 8.

10 is the main driving-shaft of the machine, journaled in the sleeves or bearings 3 4 of the rear arm-2 and having keyed to one end a driving-pulley 11 and fly-wheel 12 and at its opposite end a crank-disk 13, hereinafter referred to. ism I employ inthe new machine an effective 15 is the forwardly-extending needle rockshaft, journaled in the bearings 6 and 7 and having rigidly mounted upon its forward end a needle-carrying rock-arm 16, in which is mounted a curved needle 17.

18 is the usual thread-guide and needleclamp, mounted upon the rock-arm 16 by means of the set-screw 19.

Fig. 5 is a detail 20 and 21 are ordinary thread-guides. Secured to the rear end of the needle rockshaft 15 is a rock-arm 25, having universaljoint connection 26 with a link 27, which encircles an eccentric 28, mounted upon the main power-shaft just inside of the crankdisk 13. The link 27 and the eccentric 28 are formed with spheroidal engaging surfaces .to allow free lateral play of the link in the transmission of the rotary motion of the main shaft 10 into'the oscillatory motion of the needle-shaft 15. By this needleoper ating mechanism (which is the same as in the prior patents) the needle is given a reciprocatory motion in an arc transverse to the path of the work which is'passed throu h the machine by the mechanisms now to described.

Projecting up from the forward edge of the base 1 is an auxiliary arm 30, which is rigidly and adjustably secured to the base by means of set screws or bolts 31. The auxiliary arm 30 is formed at its upper end with two sleeves 32 and 33, in which is mounted a pivot-shaft 34, projecting a little beyond each of the sleeves 32 and 33. Set-screws pass through the sleeves 32 and 33 and engage the pivot-shaft 34 for holding it rigidly in posit1on.

is a horizontal forwardly-extending sprin -sustained' work-supporting frame. This rame 40 has the rearwardly-presented integral journal-sleeves 41, which are journaled upon the projecting ends of the ivotshaft 34 and rest snugly against the amesleeves 32 and 33, by which the work-support 40 is accurately held in position, sald support being allowed ,to move vertically upon its pivot. Surrounding the pivot-shaft 34 between the sleeves 32 and 33 is a torsion-spring 45, one end of which is extended beneath the work-supporting late 40 to hold said plate upward with a yie ding pressure, ,while the other end \4r5 of said spring isv extended down behind the auxiliaryframke-arm, 30 and,is engaged by a hook 46, formed on the rear end of a threaded rod 47, which passes freely through an opening formed in the arm 30 and is enga ed at its forward threaded end by a butter y-nut 48, by which the tension of the spring 45 can be increased or decreased at Wlll. The worksupport tfl is also formed with an integral downwardl rojectingarm 41, extending below the lbff-hand bearing 41 in position to engage an adjustable stop in the form of a screw 49, which is threaded through an integral lug ,of the auxiliary arm 30. By adjusting the screw-stop 49 the limit of the normally raised position of the work-supporting plate 40 under the action of the spring 45 can be adjusted to a nicety. The work-sup porting plate 40 is extended to the left into a work-su porting horn of approximately cylindrical shape, which horn 55 is cutout upon its upper face to receive the ridge-forming disk and the independently-yielding work-supporting plates and 75. The specific structure of the ridge-forming disk and the independently-yielding worksup orting plates form no part of my present app ication and will not be further described here. These parts are fully described and claimed in my abovenamed original application, Serial No.217,474, above referred to, of which the present case is a division.

is the presser-foot, removably secured a yoke 102, which is formed with rearwardlypresented lugs 103, which are pivoted upon projecting lug 105, formed integral with the machine-arm 5.

106 is a torsional spring coiled around a reduced portion or hub of'the lug and engaging at one end a pin 107, projecting from In 105, and at its other-end beneath the roe 'ng yoke 102, thereby giving the presser-foot a spring tendency to rise away from the work-supporting plate just described.

The presser-foot is formed with a main longitudinal slot 110, through which the ridge of the work is pressed by the work-supporting plates and rid e-formin disk for the operation of the feed and ne le, and an auxiliary longitudinal oove11 1 to allow for the move-' ment of the ooper in moving rearwardly to deliver the loop to the needle. The presserfoot plate also has a small erforation 112 to allow for the depression of the needle-guide 180 when the needle penetrates the goods and also to receive the lower end of the needle-guide and allow for the elevation of the presser-foot during the feeding stroke.

113 is the transverse needle-groove, cut in the upper face of the presser-feot.

115 is the yoke of the presser-foot, by which it is operated.

The spring 106 acting upon the pivotallymounted presser-foot normally tends to raise the presser-foot away from the Work-support. To force the presser-foot down a ainst the work on the supporting-plates an disk and to actuate the needle-guide 180, I provide suitable operating and controlling devices, which are fully plication, Serial 217,474, but w ch are not described in the present case, because they formno part of the invention claimed herein. The operating means for the presserfoot allow the presser-foot to he raised just prior to the feeding stroke of the feeding mechanism. I

In place of the under-roller feed mechanism. heretofore employed in my machine ll ing device which e upper face. This scribed.

by screws 101 to the forward web portion of set-screws 1'04, mounted in the downwardlyefilained in my origifilal aphave arranged an effective reciprocating feed- I employ a two-part feed-dog 130' 131, each part of which is formed with two parallel rows of serrations or teeth on its under surface and arranged to engage the work in front and in rear of the path of the needle. This two-part feed-dog is preferably formed integral with and projects laterally from a supportingarm 132 which is secured by means of screws to the forward end of a longitudinally-movable rocking arm or bar. 133. This arm or bar 133 is formed'between its ends with an elongated slot or opening 134, inclined slightly from the horizontal, the upper wall of the slot having a slight downward projection midway between the ends and curved or cam surfaces extending from said ing action on its returnstroke.

projection to the ends of the slot. An antifriction-roller 135 is supported upon one of the set-screws 104 from the machine-frame lug 105 and engages in the inclined elongated slot or opening 134 for supporting the arm or bar 133 with the feed-dog in operative position. The rear end or bar 133 is formed with a yoke 136, which embraces an eccentric 137, keyed to the main driving-shaft 10 of the machine, by which the feed mechanism is oper-- ated. This eccentric will cause the arm or bar 133 to reciprocate forwardly and back-- 133 serves to counteract the lifting of the dog on its feeding stroke and increasing the lift- The movement of the feed-do under the action of the inclined slot and roller-su port will be a feeding stroke in a straight ine in a horizontal plane and a return stroke in an arc, asindicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. The two rowsof teeth upon the feed-do and .131

engage the Work in slot 110 o the presseradjacent to the vertical plane of the line of' feed, so that the feed-frame is entirely free and unobstructed. This arrangement, together with the omission of the complicated underfeed mechanism of the old forms of my machine, greatly increase the scope of the improved machine and facilitates the convenient and rapid manipulation of the work which is produced. This simplicity and compactness of the structure, by which the cost of manufacture is reduced and the quality j and quantity of work increased, is one of the vention.

Freely journaled in the bearing 8 of the machine-arm 5 is a rock-shaft 140, carrying at its inner end a depending rock-arm 141, to the lower end of which is pivoted at 142 the forward end of'the link 143, which is formed at its rear end with a yoke 144, embracing an eccentric 145, keyed to the main shaft 10. At the outer end of the rock-shaft is keyed the depending rockarm 146, upon which the looper is journaled and by which the looper is operated. The rock-arm 146 carries at its lower end an outwardly-projecting journal-stud 147, which preferably has a threaded inner end to provide a convenient means for attaching it to the rock-arm. Freely journaled upon the stud 147 is a journal-sleeve 148, which is confined upon the of the stud.

150 is the main body portion of the looperrod. This body portion 150 is formed with a central circular opening 151, which loosely surrounds thebearin -sleeve148. Thelooperrod body is pivota y mounted upon said sleeve by means of the diametrically opposite cone -pointed center screws 152, which are stud between'the rock-arm 146 and the head threaded through the lower and upper walls of the central portion of the looper-rod body 150 and are seated in diametrically opposite cone-shaped recesses formed in" the journalsleeve 148. These center screws 152 are preferably provided at their outer ends with small lock-nuts 153 for. securing them in the desired adj usted position in engagement with the sleeve 148. By reason of the pivotal eccentric as modifie by the cam-faces of the connection between the looper-rod body 150 and the journal-sleeve 148 it will be observed that the looper can be rocked u on its pivots in anapproximately horizonta plane in addition' to its vertical oscillatory movements upon the journal-stud 147, as just described. The looper rod body portion 150 is also formed with an inwardly-curved forwardlypro'ecting arm 155, formed at its front end wit a socket which receives the shank of the looper proper, 157, the looperbeing secured in the socket by means of set-screw 156 passing through suitably-threaded ears of the under split portion of the socket. The looper-rodbody portion 150'is also formed with a rearwardly-presented socket-arm 158, into the socket of which is threaded the forward end of the tail-rod 159. Alocking-nut 160 is also threaded upon said tail-rod 159 to clamp it in position upon the body portion.

As above explained, a crank-disk 13 is mounted'upon the end of the drivingshaft 10. This crank-disk 13 has projecting from it at an angle of about orty-five degrees an arm 165, which supportsa crank-pin 166, extendin at right angles from the arm 165. J ournaTed upon the crank-pin 166 is a sleeve 167, having diametrically shaped bearing-sockets in whic are seated the coneointed center screws 169, which are threa ed through the side walls of the loop or yoke 170 for pivotally connecting said yoke with the journal-sleeve 167. The loo or yoke 17() has formed integral. with it an extending forwardly from it adjacent to its lower edge abracket-arm 171,formed-with the integral journal-sockets 1 72 ,in which the guiding tail-rod of the looper isfreel journaled, so as to reciprocate longitudina y and oscillate therein. The integral yoke 170, bracketarm 171, and bearing-sockets 172' constitute what I term a floating bear' parting the lateral and a part of t vertical movements to the looper proper, said floating bearing being operated by the universaljolnt connection and crank-pin above referred to V 175 is the usual thread-tension device. The stitch-forming mechanism just described forms no part of my present invention, but is the subject of a copendin divisional ap lication filed of even'date erewith, Seria No. 226,548.

The operation of the improved machine may be briefly described, as follows: The machine is primarily intended to acco lish what is known as overseaming .b "nd-' stitching work, .which'style of stitching is most commonl employed in seaming the lower edges of trousers-legs, skirts, and other garments of tubularform. The i! eration of the machine as a whole will w clearly understood from my above-named patents and from my above-named ori inal apfplication, Serial No. 217 ,474. Twill are re e r only briefly to the action of the feed mechanism: While the looper is moving across the line of stitching from right toleft to present the loop to the needle, the pre'sserfoot is raised from the work-supportingplates and the feed-dog is iven its feeding stroke, the material being eed from the pressure of the presser-foot during the time that the feed-do is making its active stroke. immediate y after the completion of the work,- ing stroke of the feed-dog the presser-foot is again clamped securely upon the material to hold it firmly while the needle enetrates the work. After the looper has de ivered the loop to the needle it is moved from the lefthand side of the line of stitchi over to the right-hand side of the line of stitc ing in readiness for another forward stroke, as explained, and during this same time the feed-dog is makin its return stroke out of engagement with th ing stroke. 7

The simplicity of the feed device is an important feature of my present machine, the construction being such that the equivalent of the fouripart feed-motion is accomplished from a sing eccentric, the roller and inclined opposite cone e work in readiness for another feedslot-su port of the feed-bar counteracting the vertica movement of the feed-dog on its feeding stroke to maintain it in effective engagement with the material and the same support exaggerating the raising of the feeddog away from the material on the return in- 1. in a sewing-machine, the combination of the machine-hams, suitable stitch-forminglmechanism, a work-support, a loitudina y-reciprocating rocking arm or ba ca .1

ing a feed-do which operates above-the wor support, a pm-and-slot connection between sal arm or bar and the machine-heme, and operating means for said arm or bar adapted to cause said feed-dog to make a feeding stroke in an approximately straight line in the plane of feed, and a return stroke in an are above the plane of feed, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sewin -machine, the combination of the machine-trame, suitable stitch-forming mechanism, a work support, a longitudina ly-reciprocating rocking arm or bar formed with a longitudinal" slot between its ends, a pivot upon the machine-frame engaging in the slot of said arm or bar, a feed-dog mounted upon one end of said arm or bar and presented downwardly therefrom above the work-support, and an eccentric o crating device adapted to cause said feed- 0 to make a feedi stroke in an approximate ystraight line in t e lane ofieed and a return stroke in an are a ove the plane pf feed, substantially as set forth. v

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with suitable stitch-forming mechanism, means for supporting the work which is to be operated upon, a.longitudinally-reciprocating rocking arm or bar formed with a slot, inclined with reference to the longitudinal axis of the arm or bar, a ivot projectin from the machine-frame an engaging sai inclined slot for supportin said arm or bar, an eccentric engag' sai arm or bar for actuating it, and a tee -dog mounted upon said arm or bar and presented downwardly therefrom above the work-support, substantially as set fUrth. I

i. in a sewing-machine, the combination with suitable stitch forming mechanism, means for supporting the work which is to be operated upon, a longitudinally reciprocating rocking arm or bar formed with a slot between its ends, the said slot being inclined with reference to the longitudinal axis of the arm or bar, a stud rejecting from the machine-arm, an antiiriction-roller 'ournaled upon said stud and enga ing sai inclined slot and an porting the fee arm or bar in approximate y horizontal ositioniba feedvdog mounted upon .-na {ping acting eneath the forward end of said arm or bar, and an eccentric engaging the rear end of said arm or bar for actuating it, substantially as set forth.

'5. In a sewing-machine, the combination with suitable stitch forming mechanism, means for supporting the work which is to be operated upon, an approximately h rizontal longitudinally-movable slotted rocking arm or bar, the upper Wall of the slot in said arm or bar being formed with a central projection and curved surfaces extending therefrom to the ends of the slot, a feed-dog mounted upon and projecting beneath the forward end of said arm or bar, a stud projecting from the machine-arm, an antifriction-roller journaled 1 5 CHARLES A. DEARBORN.

Witnesses: v

WLLLIAM P. HAMMOND, WM. E. KNIGHT.

forth. 

